What Is Cybersecurity Incident Management?

Date First Published: 28th September 2023

Topic: Cybersecurity

Subtopic: Security Mechanisms & Technologies

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

Incident Management Plan
Difference Between Incident Management and Incident Response

Learn about what cybersecurity incident management is in this article.

Cybersecurity incident management is the process of identifying, analysing, and managing threats, cyberattacks, and incidents in real time. A cybersecurity incident could be an active threat, like a DDoS attack or malware attack or a data breach, like unauthorised access to confidential organisation data or personally identifiable records.

Incident Management Plan

Incidents can have a great impact on organisations in terms of security, productivity, cost, and reputation, so it is important that organisations develop an incident management plan. This means that their responses to cybersecurity incidents are planned in advance. Incident response requires prioritisation since not all security events are equally serious and organisations do not have the resources to address each one.

Incident management plans vary depending on the organisation and related business functions, but there are some general steps that should be taken to help manage and prevent threats and cyberattacks. An incident management plan should consist of the following:

Which threats and exploits are considered security incidents and what to do when they happen. The first step should investigate any suspicious activity, like a web server that is running more slowly than normal.
Who is responsible for which tasks and who can be contacted in the event of a security incident. The team should assess the issue to determine whether the activity is considered a security incident. If it is, the incident will be analysed further.
When team members should complete certain tasks.
How team members should complete these tasks.
Basic guidance on legal or regulatory requirements based on the types and amount of data the organisation holds.
How records will be kept of the incident response, decisions made, and actions taken. This will be useful for presenting evidence of the response to a regulatory body.

Difference Between Incident Management and Incident Response

The main difference between incident management and incident response is that incident management is a broader term referring to an organisation's handling of cyberattacks and threats, including preparing incident management plans before an incident happens, whilst incident response is a part of incident management where organisations respond to the security incidents when they happen. Incident response determines how quickly and effectively an organisation can recover from a cyberattack or other security incident. Organisations need both incident management and incident response strategies.